Trivia: What are the sharpest curves on Network Rail routes?

[StripeyNick]

The curve as the Barry Island branch leaves the Vale line at Barry station is pretty tight.

The inner curve off the new platform at Barry reduces Pacers to a very squealy crawl.

143609 & 143625 at Barry. 8/7/14 by Nick Wilcock, on Flickr

 

[Deepgreen]

The curve as the Barry Island branch leaves the Vale line at Barry station is pretty tight.

The inner curve off the new platform at Barry reduces Pacers to a very squealy crawl.

143609 & 143625 at Barry. 8/7/14 by Nick Wilcock, on Flickr

Almost all track does that!

 

[Mojo]

There's a very tight curve between Avonmouth and St Andrews Road stations in Bristol:
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=av...onmouth,+City+of+Bristol,+United+Kingdom&z=17

 

[The 39 Steps]

I will suggest the connection between the mainline and the Looe Branch at Liskeard.

 

[Emyr]

Can anyone provide any actual facts about the radii of these curves, rather than having lots of speculative gossip about curves with low speed limits or curves that are "quite notably, noisily, exceedingly tight", in laymans terms?

 

[317663]

Can anyone provide any actual facts about the radii of these curves, rather than having lots of speculative gossip about curves with low speed limits or curves that are "quite notably, noisily, exceedingly tight", in laymans terms?

Pls read all of the posts pls.

 

[Statto]

Merseyrail Wirral Line Loop from Moorfields to Liverpool Central, although it straightens out on approach to Lime Street but curves again after Lime Street, & the curves are the sharpest on the network.

 

[edwin_m]

Can anyone provide any actual facts about the radii of these curves, rather than having lots of speculative gossip about curves with low speed limits or curves that are "quite notably, noisily, exceedingly tight", in laymans terms?

They can be estimated from Ordnance Survey maps or Google/Bing aerial views. Actual radii are available in Network Rail documents which other companies can access only by payment of a licence fee.

I believe the tightest curve on a running line of modern light rail system in the UK is 18m radius on the northbound track at Lace Market in Nottingham - not sure about depots though. There is at least one less than 15m radius in Berlin.

 

[Strathclyder]

This one near Chatelherault on the Argyle Line is pretty tight:
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Al...kshire,+United+Kingdom&z=16&source=gplus-ogsb

 

[Mutant Lemming]

On LU the curve from the EB Piccadilly at Kings Cross to the Northern Line used to be pretty tight.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

This isn't the first time such a question has been asked : Sharpest curve station and it seems that most of the suggestions on there would apply to this thread too.

I was reading an article about the Morpeth crashes which seemed to suggest the Morpeth curve was one of the tightest

Morpeth is about 300 mtrs radius, what makes it significant is it being on a mainline where linespeeds in the area are typically 100mph and more.

 

[Whistler40145]

How about Firsby Curve on the Skegness line?

 

[170399]

There are 2 very tight corner on the Norwich-Lowestoft line after Reedham station turning off towards Lowestoft and about 5 mins later down the line after Reedham swingbridge there is another tight corner, DMUs are only allowed to do 10mph on that section.

 

[ac6000cw]

Different continent (and not 'heavy' rail) but I always think this one on the Chicago elevated system is fun (power is 3rd rail, and minimum curve radius on the system is 27m):

(and with a train on it here - http://nicksuydam.photoshelter.com/image/I0000ATJVqcAHl1Q )

 

[Daniel Pyke]

Here is the one I was thinking about

http://goo.gl/maps/QauW9

 

[Parallel]

There's a very tight curve between Avonmouth and St Andrews Road stations in Bristol:
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=av...onmouth,+City+of+Bristol,+United+Kingdom&z=17

Definitely, I was on this line a couple of weeks ago, the track after Avonmouth feels a little dodgy generally, very bumpy!

 

[12CSVT]

This isn't the first time such a question has been asked : Sharpest curve station and it seems that most of the suggestions on there would apply to this thread too.
Morpeth is about 300 mtrs radius, what makes it significant is it being on a mainline where linespeeds in the area are typically 100mph and more.

For a main line, Northam Junction (near Southampton) is sharper than Morpeth.

 

[Kingsbury Jn.]

Here is the one I was thinking about

http://goo.gl/maps/QauW9

Approx 25m radius (using the measurement tool in Google maps). It is in the Sheffield Supertram depot.

 

[Rick1984]

This one at New Hartley near Newcastle seems a pretty tight 90º bend

http://goo.gl/maps/84jOr

 

[Deepgreen]

Co-incidentally, given the relative rarity of pictures of it, a picture of Gotham Curve on the Cromford and High Peak line appears on page 47 of the latest 'Railway Magazine'.

 

[kevconnor]

Here is the one I was thinking about

http://goo.gl/maps/QauW9

Christ you wouldn't want to go around that after a night on the sauce.

This one at New Hartley near Newcastle seems a pretty tight 90º bend

http://goo.gl/maps/84jOr

Looking at the alignment here was this once a junction where another track from the south joined?

 

[edwin_m]

Looking at the alignment here was this once a junction where another track from the south joined?

If you flip to earth view you can see the formation, formerly a link south to Monkseaton. The history of the Blyth and Tyne is very complex, with some parts following the line of colliery wagonways and the surviving route to Woodhorn seemingly built up of a series of right angle bends. Disused Stations website has some good history of this area.

 

[jopsuk]

Different continent (and not 'heavy' rail) but I always think this one on the Chicago elevated system is fun (power is 3rd rail, and minimum curve radius on the system is 27m):

Looking this one up, the junction has steadily become more complex(!)- the "tower" (signal box to us) used to be in the middle of the junction. The tower pictured has recently been replaced, too.

 

[L&Y Robert]

The new Todmorden West Curve. And what about the chord that connects the Camp Hill line to the L&NW approaches to Birmingham New St.? Also, coming off the Leamington-Coventry at Coventry - quite a tight one, but a long one too, more than 90°.

 

[Clip]

For light rail what about the DLR? Going into canning Town from Poplar direction always feels tight as does going to Stratford from Poplar where it passes the depot... Looks pretty tight going into the depot if coming from Beckton station too also a couple through Canary wharf/docklands itself.

 

[ac6000cw]

Looking this one up, the junction has steadily become more complex(!)- the "tower" (signal box to us) used to be in the middle of the junction. The tower pictured has recently been replaced, too.

If you're ever in Chicago, a ride around the 'Loop' is a must - riding around street corners 20 feet up in a train is slightly surreal....when I did it 25 years ago you could stand at the front and get a driver's eye view of the journey - I don't know if that's still possible.

 

[theageofthetra]

Totally agree about the Chicago 'EL' Loop. It reminds me of the Wild Mouse type rollercoasters (think there is still one at Blackpool )

 

[507 001]

For light rail I'd say the curves on the Eccles line around Salford quays or canal curve on the Ashton line.

Heavy rail the merseyrail loop line is very sharp.

 

[edwin_m]

For light rail I'd say the curves on the Eccles line around Salford quays or canal curve on the Ashton line.

Heavy rail the merseyrail loop line is very sharp.

I've already posted that Nottingham has the tightest curve on modern light rail in the UK.

 

[pnepaul]

The curve from Carlisle station to the Workington branch appears rather sharp - does it count for this thread?